This is three and a half hours. Good morning, the committee will come to order. And without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the committee at any time. With that, ill now recognize myself to give an opening statement. Two days ago, the entire world came together to Mark International holocaust Remembrance Day. In addition, 75 years ago this week, in january of 1945, the auschwitz berknau concentration camp was liberated from the nazis. It was one of the most infamous sites of the nazi genocide. More than a Million People were murdered there. The purpose of todays hearing is to commemorate these grave anniversaries to remember those we lost, and to honor those who are still with us. But it is not enough to simply recognize these dates. We must also contemplate what led to these atrocities. We must remember the holocaust in order to help combat bigotry, hate, and violence of all kinds today. I am so pleased to have our distinguished panel here today, i have asked them to help us come together, on todays solemn occasion, to help us rise above issues, that may divide us, and help us unify our efforts around a common purpose of hope and inclusion. On this day of all days, i hope we could all do that. One issue we will discuss today is what we can do to ensure that future generations never forget the lessons of the holocaust. This may sound hard to believe, but the Pew Research Center recently issued a report finding that fewer than half of americans surveyed knew how mjes were killed in the holocaust and only 38 of American Teens surveyed knew the nazis killed six million jews and only a third knew that hitler was democratically elected. The best way i know to help people remember the holocaust is to hear firsthand from the people who went through it. We are very fortunate to have that opportunity today. In addition to the Holocaust Memorial museum, just a few blocks from here, is an outstanding and gripping institution, dedicated to remembering the holocaust in order to fight hate today. Im also pleased to announce that on monday, the house of representatives passed Bipartisan Legislation with 393 votes that i introduced and authored called the never again education act, to give teachers Additional Resources to teach about the holocaust. I hope the senate will pass this bill and send it to the president as soon as possible, because the lessons of the past must inform our approach to fighting hate today. For example, this morning, we will hear testimony about the horrific shooting at the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh, the most deadly assault against the Jewish Community in american history. After that massacre, a group of Holocaust Survivors who volunteer in the Holocaust Museum wrote to the pittsburgh Jewish Community, in solidarity, explaining why they dedicated their lives to sharing the horrors they experienced. They wrote, and i quote, we seek to remind people, especially young people, our countrys future leaders, that hate can never be ignored. Complacency is dangerous. Standing up and pushing back is the only way we can make a better future. End quote. Unfortunately, there has been a sinister increase in hate crimes recently. Not only against jewish communities but against africanamericans, muslims, immigrants, and others. In november, the fbi released data showing the highest number of reported violence hate crimes in the United States in 16 years. The number of hate groups exploded to more than 1,000 in 2018. This was a record high, and a 30 increase over the past four years. To take just one example, when we watch the gruesome video footage of the neo nazi attacks in charlottesville, we see in excruciating detail the evil that still poisons our society to this day. I want all of our members to know that our committee is dedicated to fighting bigotry, hate, and violence of all kinds. Todays hearing, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of auschwitz berknau, is one in a series we are holding on these issues, in the 116th congress. Chairman raskin, has held four hearings on the civil rights and Civil Liberties subcommittee to confront White Supremacy, religious persecution, and our governments response. Chairman lynch from the National Security subcommittee has worked with chairman raskin, to investigate the National Security implications of these threats. Going forward, we are planning additional hearings including one on Voter Suppression and minority communities, antimuslim discrimination, antiimmigrant actions, and issues facing the lbgtq communities. I have been in touch with many of you over the past weeks, and i hope youll come to me with any additional thoughts, ideas, or proposals, that you think our committee should take up as part of this series. We mark this day of remembrance just weeks after a recent spate of antisemitic attacks in new york city, including an attack at a rabbis home during the festival of hanukkah, it was heartening to participate in the solidarity march in new york following these attack, and i hope we can Work Together with that same spirit of solidarity today. I now want to recognize Ranking Member jordan. But before i do, id like to thank him personally for his support of the holocaust never again education act. Thank you, mr. Jordan. And youre recognized. Thank you, thank you, madam chair woman. Thank you for calling this hearing today. Thank you to all of our witnesses for being with us today, and in your testimony. And i want to apologize on the front end, i have to head across to the other side of the capitol here in a few minutes, theres a proceeding in the United States senate thats been going on for a couple of weeks and i need to get over there for a meeting. On monday, we recognized the International HolocaustRemembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of auschwitz. We pause to remember the six million innocent lives taken by this evil. As Vice President pence said last week, we have quote an obligation of remembrance to never let the memory of those who died in the holocaust be forgotten by anyone, anywhere, in the world. We must never forget the horrors of the holocaust and we must always condemn antisemitism in all its forms. I would like to take a moment to recognize mr. Gnat shafear, the witness i just met here today with us who is also himself a holocaust survivor. An incredible honor to you have with us today, sir. Thank you. Thank you again for your testimony. One of the most important ways in which the United States continues to support the jewish people is through our unwavering support for the state of israel. Since the formation of israel in 1948, the United States has had a special bond with the israeli people. Since President Trump took office three years ago, he has made it his mission to strengthen this important bond. President trump has worked to ensure the whole world knows that the United States stands firmly with the state of israel. President trump in just three years, in just three years, heres what happens happened. Recognized the Golan Heights as a part of israel. Hes withdrawn from the failed Iranian Nuclear deal. Hes taken Decisive Action to eliminate sule manny, one of the greatest threats to israel and the middle east. He has aopposed the divestment and Sanction Movement chapped to diminish israel and issued an executive order to curtail antisemitism on College Campuses around the United States and just yesterday, President Trump released a groundbreaking peace plan. But maybe most important, President Trump fulfilled a decades old promise to the people of israel, and recognizing jerusalem as the capital of that state. Past president s have routinely made this promise and failed to deliver. 1976, former president carter ran on a platform that said quote we recognize to support the established status of jerusalem as the capital of israel. The u. S. Embassy should be moved from tell aleve to jerusalem. In 1993, former president clinton says jerusalem is still the capital of city. In 2000, former president bush says as soon as i take office i will begin process of leaving the u. S. Ambassador to the city as the chosen capital. And democratic nominee barack obama said juice lierusalem wile capital of industry. I said it before and i will say it again, President Trump recognized jerusalem last year and shows the israeli people that they have the support of the United States of america. We should all be proud of this friendship with israel and the israeli people and the work the president has done to solidify the relationship. As the Committee Works to address hate crimes and violent extremism, we would be wise to listen to the testimony today. Thank you, madam chairman. I yield back. Thank you very much. I would like to recognize two of my colleague, representative lawrence and representative wassermanschultz, both founding members of the congressional caucus on blackjewish relations. Ms. Lawrence. Thank you, chair woman maloney for holding this hearing and drawing attention to the alarming rise of antisemitic acts and hate crimes in the United States. Im going to see our committee, im glad to see our committee will be using our Oversight Authority to find innovative ways for the government to combat antisemitic, and the rise of White Supremacy analogy. Last year, i formed the congressional caucus on black jewish relations to discuss the relationships between africanamerican and jewish communities. Also to highlight our shared history of combatting racism and how the two groups in this country can Work Together to combat hate crimes, moving forward. Ive shared history of slavery and the holocaust, ouryk onward, we are still in january, there has been at least three reported antisemitic incidents in my home state of michigan, and more than 25 across the United States. The last few years have seen a disturbing spike in antisemitic attacks. Where more than 1800 reported in 2018 alone, according to the Antidefamation League. The most recent audit of antisemitic incidents, a 57 increase over 2017. As local communities experience a substantial rise in hate crimes, the federal government must assist state and local governments and Law Enforcement entities to develop ways to combat a rise in identitybased hate crimes. This pattern of hate illustrates a disturbing trend in our country that must be reversed. Hatefilled antisemitic acts will not be tolerated. And i will not stand by idly, as predators of these senseless attacks seek to sow fear across our country. The First Amendment gives all americans the right to freedom of religion, and will not allow, and we will not allow that right to be hindered by a small fraction who use their awful agenda to spread hate and crime. I look forward to working with the leadership of this amazing chair woman maloney, of this committee, members of the caucus on black and jewish relation, and all of the members of congress, and in the words of Martin Luther king, in justice anywhere ysh injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere and i want to thank madam chairman for holding this hearing. Thank you. Thank you, madam chair, i thank the gentle woman for con fening this important hearing. I serve proudly as the first jewish woman to represent florida in the United States congress and i just returned from israel and auschwitz with a bipartisan delegation led by Speaker Pelosi for the 75th anniversary of the liberation. Over one million men, women and children lost their lives at auschwitz berknau alone. We walked train tracks that transported innocent people to captivity and the gas chambers and visiting this historic member of genocide only reaffirmed for me that we cannot ignore the resurgence of hate we see now. To live the moral imperative of never again, we must hold hearings like this and shine a light on bigotry and white supremacist ideology. It is important to understore for this hearing that the fight against antisemitism and bigotry is about more than support for the state of israel. The story of the showa must also be clear, this systemic mass extermination did not happen overnight. It began with hate speech, harassment, and attacks on vulnerable communities. As these symptoms reemerge, we must speak out and act. Today, we will do that. We must also educate the american people, by highlighting the amazing accomplishments of persecuted communities in the United States. During important events, like the upcoming black history month, in february, and the Jewish American heritage month which we celebrate in may. Educating one another about our unique cultures, traditions, and accomplishments, when so many people across the country are unfamiliar with minority communities achievements and traditions is essential. I bet if each of us thinks about, it there are many of us who have populations of communities in our own districts that are either tiny or miniscule, and the first time that many members of congress interact with the Minority Community is when they join the United States congress. That is why its important to hold hearings like this one today, madam chair, and i appreciate our ability to make sure that we can rid our nation of every denial of one anothers humanity. I want to thank the panelists especially for being here, for being in the fight every day to make sure that we continue to shine a spotlight and root out bigotry and hate in all its forms and i particularly want it thank my colleague and dear friend congressman Brenda Lawrence for her leadership and vision to establish the congressional caucus on black, jewish relation, and i proudly join her as a cochair of that organization and look forward to our work. Thank you, i yield back the balance of my time. Thank you. I would now like to welcome our witnesses. And i recognize representative raskin to introduce our first distinguished witness. Thank you, madam chair, for calling this hearing, and for giving an opportunity to introduce to everyone a remarkable constituent from my district. Mat shapear, who was a little boy in romania, when a policeman arrived to arrest him, his two sisters and his parents, and it take them to a ghetto, for the crime of being jewish. Astonishingly, remarkably, they survived the holocaust, but mr. Shapear lost 32 other family members to the genocidal war waged upon the Jewish Community of europe. Since the holocaust ended, the civilized world has come together with one refrain, never again. And yet we live in a time of resurgence of authoritarian imp, propaganda, conspiracy theory, mass psychological manipulation, human rights violation, antisemitism, racism, and religious persecution, fanaticism, and violence. Just yesterday, the civil rights Civil Liberties subcommittee madam chair held a hearing on accelerating global religious persecution, taking place under the guise of the blasphemy heresy and apostasy laws including the internment of millions of mug limb uyghurs and the genocide against the rohingya in burma. Here at home, the last decade of dirty work by Cambridge Analytica and Vladimir Putin injecting racial and religious poison into social media has activated the most dangerous elements of our Society Creating a wave of white supremacist, violence and terror against singology, black church, jews in their homes, shopping at walmart and anyone deemed to be an outsider. We have got to get a hold on the convergence of rising white supremacist violence and off the charts gun violence. We must continue to pressure the federal government haz we have been doing on this committee tody device a Strategic Plan to combat the rise of violent White Supremacy and domestic terror here in the United States. Today we can focus on mr. Shapear whose indom table and restoring resilience is a lesson to all americans in this dark time. Last year at 82 years old, remarkably he became the only holocaust survivor alone to scale mount kilimanjaro, a feat he made by keeping in mind the words his father spoke to him during the holocaust, never give up. We are honored by his presence and i yield back ma tam, madam chair. And congratulations on your recent achievement. We are fortunate to have br